Waves of American doctors and nurses leave their practices and head to Canada to avoid U.S. political climate

Often born and trained in the U.S., many nurses and doctors are leaving the U.S. for Canada.
(Graphic by Oona Zenda, KFF Health News)

At a time when Americans can least afford to lose medical professionals, many are leaving the U.S., citing the country's current political climate as their reason for leaving. In rural parts of the U.S., already facing a chronic shortage of medical care providers, the loss of any medical professionals makes accessing care more difficult.

"American nurses, doctors, and other health care workers moving to Canada, and specifically British Columbia, where more than 1,000 U.S.-trained nurses have been approved to work since April 2025," Brett Kelman of KFF Health News reports. 

Justin and Amy Miller from Wisconsin serve as one example. They are both nurses who were born in the U.S. and trained at American schools, but didn't want to stay in the U.S. because of policies and cuts by the Trump administration, Kelman explains. They moved their family of five to Canada, where they found new nursing jobs.

As the Trump administration systematically slashed "funding for public health, insurance, and medical research, many nurses have felt the draw of Canada’s progressive politics, friendly reputation, and universal health care system," Kelman reports.

For U.S.-trained nurses, Canada is rolling out the welcome wagon. "Ontario and British Columbia have streamlined the licensing process for American nurses since Trump returned to the White House," Kelman writes. British Columbia also launched a $5 million advertising campaign last year to recruit nurses from California, Oregon, and Washington state."

Doctors are leaving as well. "Michael, an emergency room doctor who was born, raised, and trained in the United States, packed up his family and got out," Kelman reports. KFF did not use his last name because he expressed concerns about reprisals if he returned to the U.S. 

Rural Canadians, who also struggle with accessing medical care, are also hoping to attract some American medical professionals. Doctors Manitoba, which "represents physicians in the rural province that struggles with one of Canada’s worst doctor shortages, launched a recruiting campaign after the election to capitalize on Trump and the rise of far-right politics in the U.S," Kelman writes.